Hollywood veteran Matt Clark, who appeared in Back to the Future III and Grace Under Fire, dies following surgery complications
A star of Back to the Future III has passed away following complications from back surgery, it has been reported. Matt Clark, renowned for his roles in the third film of the Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd series Back to the Future and the TV sitcom Grace Under Fire, died at his home in Austin, Texas, on Sunday morning.
Matt was memorably Chester, the bartender of the Palace Saloon in the Wild West version of Hill Valley set in 1885. He famously witnessed the duel between Fox’s character Marty McFly and Buford ’Mad Dog’ Tannen in front of the saloon. He also battles to revive Doc after he passes out from drinking whiskey in the bar.
His daughter, producer Amiee Clark, told The Hollywood Reporter that he broke his back a few months ago. Matt performed in some of the biggest Western films in movie history, starring alongside Clint Eastwood and Robert Redford, and had more than 150 credits to his name. His movies include Paul Newman’s The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean and John Wayne’s The Cowboys.
He played Chester, the no-nonsense Wild West barman, in Back To The Future III(Image: Universal Pictures)
More recently he was cast by Hollywood star Seth MacFarlane, a noted Back To The Future fan, in 2014’s A Million Ways to Die in the West. The movie also featured glimpses of Doc Brown and the iconic DeLorean car.
Matt appeared in Grace Under Fire as Emmet Kelly for four episodes of the hit Nineties sitcom. His other TV credits include a role in the medical drama Chicago Hope in 2000 and the part of Walt Bacon in 12 episodes of comedy The Jeff Foxworthy Show in the mid-Nineties.
His many credits also included the Eighties cult classic The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension where he played the US Secretary of Defense.
Matt Clark at the premiere of A Million Ways To Die In The West in 2014(Image: FilmMagic)
The actor was born in Washington, DC and served in the US Army before attending George Washington University. However, he dropped out and joined a theatre group in the city, before moving to New York and getting involved in community theatre there.
He also worked as a director, working on episodes of Schoolbreak Special and two episodes of the TV show Midnight Caller. He also directed Martin Sheen in the 1988 film Da.
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